The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/29866.
Heavy on the double definitions, but otherwise a good start to the week.
| ACROSS | ||
| 7 | COUNSEL |
Brief advice (7)
|
| Double definition. | ||
| 8 | HEXAGON |
Figure in plane has spell with no end of bad pain (7)
|
| A charade of HEX (‘spell’) plus AGON[y] (‘bad pain’) minus its last letter (‘with no end’). | ||
| 9 | LIKE |
It’s often attached to a post or similar (4)
|
| Double definition; the ‘post’ is to a social website. | ||
| 10 | MATERNITY |
In this state one is making a new life (9)
|
| Cryptic definition. | ||
| 12 | PLAIN |
Obvious feature of Middle America (5)
|
| Double definition. | ||
| 13 | REBOOTED |
Tried to restore computer, and gave it another kick? (8)
|
| Double definition. | ||
| 15 | WILD |
Very angry playwright’s heard (4)
|
| Soinds like (‘heard’) WILDE (Oscar, ‘playwright’). | ||
| 16 | ERASE |
Destroy some trees, a real setback (5)
|
| A hidden (‘some’) reversed (‘setback’) answer in treES A REal’. | ||
| 17 | DIAL |
Face relaxed? (4)
|
| DIAL is LAID BACK (‘relaxed’). | ||
| 18 | SEASHELL |
Open water is hateful: I may get left on the beach (8)
|
| A charade of SEA’S (‘open water is’) plus HELL (‘hateful’). | ||
| 20 | COMET |
In Colorado, had encounter with visitor from space (5)
|
| A charade of CO (‘Colorado’, US plstal abbreviation) plus MET (‘had encounter’). | ||
| 21 | POLLYANNA |
Only Plan A flies for unquenchable optimist (9)
|
| An anagram (‘flies’) of ‘only plan a’. | ||
| 22 | CAGE |
John, who composed four notes (4)
|
| C A G E (‘four notes’). | ||
| 24 | BEDEVIL |
Torment with base wickedness (7)
|
| A charade of BED (‘base’) plus EVIL (‘wickedness’). Simple and effective. | ||
| 25 | GENERAL |
Comprehensive classes, back to school (7)
|
| A charade of GENERA (‘classes’; in taxonomy the two are quite distinct) plus L (‘back to schooL‘). | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | ROTI |
Go off one Caribbean snack (4)
|
| A charade of ROT (‘go off’) plus I (‘one’). | ||
| 2 | ON DEMAND |
One short order available when requested (2,6)
|
| A charade of ‘on[e]’ minus its last letter (‘short’) plus DEMAND (‘order’). | ||
| 3 | YES MAN |
I’m so obsequious, men say nastily (3-3)
|
| An anagram (‘nastily’) of ‘men say’. | ||
| 4 | BEARABLE |
To live on farmland can be endured (8)
|
| A charade of BE (‘live’) plus ARABLE (‘farmland’). | ||
| 5 | CASINO |
A better place (6)
|
| Cryptic definition. | ||
| 6 | COSY |
Modest, keeping son comfortable (4)
|
| An envelope (‘keeping’) of S (‘son’) in COY (‘modest’). | ||
| 11 | TARPAULIN |
Waterproof sheet colleague and I dropped into lake (9)
|
| An envelope (‘dropped into’) of PAUL (‘colleague’, fellow Guardian crossword setter) plus ‘I’ in TARN (‘lake’). | ||
| 12 | PRIDE |
Group of cats, one among several that are deadly (5)
|
| PRIDE being one of the seven deadly sins. | ||
| 14 | EXACT |
Insist upon intercourse, but soprano refused (5)
|
| [s]EX ACT (‘intercourse’) minus the S (‘soprano refused’). | ||
| 16 | EVERY BIT |
The whole lot in English, with remarkable brevity (5,3)
|
| A charde of E (‘English’) plus VERYBIT, an anagram (‘remarkable’ – one of the less justifiable anagrinds) of ‘brevity’. | ||
| 17 | DAMOCLES |
Legendary swordsman does calm exercises (8)
|
| An anagram (‘exercises’) of ‘does calm’. Of course, the sword was not wielded by Damocles, but hung over him. | ||
| 19 | SALVER |
One applying ointment from tray (6)
|
| Double definition. | ||
| 20 | CHALET |
Haul into court to obtain small dwelling (6)
|
| An envelope (‘into’) of HALE (‘haul’ – a variant of the same word) in CT (‘court’). | ||
| 21 | PEEL |
Expose the flesh of Prime Minister (4)
|
| Double definition. | ||
| 23 | GNAW |
Keep chewing and not speaking (4)
|
| Sounds like (‘speaking’) NOR (‘and not’). |
